~","'''lA~ ~OCI .62000 \ SEVENTEENTH-AND EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY BOTTLE GLASS FROM FERRYLAND, EWFOUNDLAND by John WicksO A thesis submitted to the School ofGraduate Studies in partial fulfilment ofthe requirements for the degree ofMaster ofArts Department ofAnthropology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's, Newfoundland August 1999 Abstract In 1621, Captain Edward Wynne (along with II senlers) established a colony at ferryland, Newfoundland, on behalfofGeorge Calvert. Recent archaeological excavations uncovered a number ofslrUctures associated with this initial settlement as well as those buill later. These excavations also uncovered over 1,000,000 artifacts, including thousands of fragments ofwine and case bottles. Although the historical record suggests that the inhabitants offerryland were avid consumers ofalcohol, there are few direct references to glass bottles or other containers associated with alcohol consumption. Thus, the analysis ofbottle fragments will provide answers to several questions relating to consumption as well as social status. four different glass assemblages representing different functional areas and time periods were examined in order to identify any changes over time. Such an analysis required the fonnulation ofa model that allowed for the accurate dating offragments. Based on a number ofmeasurements taken on bottles of known dates or those excavated from well-dated contexts, this model provides a means not only for dating fragments uncovered in future excavations at the ferryland site but on other historic archaeological sites ofthe period. Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge several institutions and individuals for their support and guidance in writing this thesis. [n particular, I am indebted to my supervisor, Dr. Peter Pope, who was always available to assist me during the course ofmy study. His guidance and constructive criticism were invaluable. [am very grateful to Dr. James Tuck, who fostered my interest in historical archaeology and provided me with the opportunity to participate in the excavation ofthe Ferryland site. Thanks are also due to Olive Jones of Parks Canada who fostered my interest in wine bottles and provided me with valuable assistance and information as well as. Ellen Foulkes, archaeological curator at Memorial University, whose assistance in locating artifacts has been essential. I would like to thank. past and present graduate students including Barry Gaulton, Amanda Crompton, Doug Nixon. Matthew Carter and Brent Murphy who have directly or indirectly helped with the completion ofthis thesis. Barry Gaullon and Matthew Carter also provided me with site maps for Areas C and B. Cathy Mathias, archaeological conservator, offered many words ofencouragement as well. I would like to thank. all the members ofthe Archaeology Unit and Department ofAnthropology who have in some way provided support and guidance. Finally, I would like to thank all the crew ofthe Fenyland Archaeological Project. Financial support was provided by a fellowship from the school ofgraduate studies and a research grant from the Joseph R. Smallwood Foundation. The Smallwood grant enabled me to travel to England in order to examine a number ofbottle collections. iii Consequently, I would like to thank Hazel Forsyth ofthe London Museum and Aurthor McGregor ofthe Ashmolean Musem at Oxford, for providing me with access to their vast boule collections. Finally, but most importantly, I would like to thank my wife Regina for her continuous support, patience and editing skills! Table of Contents Abstract. i Acknowledgments ii Table ofContents.. .iv ListofMaps.. ix List ofPlates.. List ofFigures x.i..i Listoffables xiii Chapter I lNTRODUCflON 1.1 lntroduction.... 1 1.2 Research IJesign and Methodology 2 Chapter 2 FERRYLAND 2.1 Introduction...... 6 2.2 Historical Background... 6 2.3 Excavation Background.... 9 Chapter 3 THE BOTTLE I DUSTRY 3.1 Introduction.... 16 3.2 Materials and ManufacturingTechniques 16 3.3 CaseBotties 18 3.4 Wine Bottles... 22 3.5 Phannaceutical Bottles 25 Chapter 4 THE SPIRIT AND WINE TRADE 4.1 Introduction... 27 4.2 Spirits 27 4.3 Wines 30 4.4 Spirits and Wines in Newfoundland and Their Function 34 Chapter 5 DATING AND MEASUREMENTS 5.1 Introduction 37 5.2 Dating English Wine Bottles: Previous Research and Problems 37 5.3 A New Chronology for Dating English Wine Bottles and Fragments 39 5.4 Measurements and Dating English Wine Bottle Fragments .42 5.4.1 Measurement Deflllitions 44 5.5 Dating Case Bottles and Measurements ..48 vi 5.6 Pharmaceutical Bottles .50 Chapter 6 BOTILE USAGE 6.1 Introduction 51 6.2 Case Bottles... 51 6.3 Wine Bottles 54 6.4 Pharmaceutical Bottles... 58 Chapter 7 AREA B GLASS 7.1 Introduction... 60 7.2 The Forge 60 7.3 Stratigraphy 61 7.4 The Glass 62 7.5 Interpretation... 63 Chapter 8 AREA C GLASS 8.1 Introduction... 66 8.2 Overview: FirstConstruetion and Desuuction Phase 66 8.3 First Consuuction And Occupation Phase 67 8.4 First Desuuction Phase... .. 71 8.4.1 PrivyandStorehouse 71 8.4.2 South ofthe Storehouse and Privy 75 vii 8.4.3 North ofStorehouse 78 8.5 Second Consuuction and Destruction Phase 78 8.6 Early·Eighteenth·Centwy Destruction 82 Chapter 9 AREA E GLASS 9.1 Lntroduction... 87 9.2 The Glass... 87 9.3 Interpretation 92 Chapter to AREA F GLASS 10.1 Introduction 94 10.2 Case and Phannaceutical Bottles 95 10.3 Wine Bottles 95 10.4 Lnterpretation. 96 ChaptO< 11 STATUS AND SEALED BOTTLES 11.1 Introduction... 98 11.2 Wine Bottle Production and Sealing 98 11.3 Cost and Function 99 11.4 TheSeals 103 11.4.1 Seals 103 viii Ch lee 12 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 12.1 lntroduction 113 12.2 DatingModeISummary 113 12.3 Glass and Function ofareas 114 12.4 QuestionsSwnrnary..... 114 12.5 Conclusions... 117 R1.FERENCES CITED.... 118 PERSONALCOMMUNICATIONS... 127 MAPS... .. 128 PLATES 130 FIGURES... 152 TABLES 163 APPEND/X A: LISTOFVESSELS ACCORDING TO EVENT 172 ix LIST OF MAPS Map 1.1 Map of Newfoundland (insert), Avalon Peninsula 128 Map 1.2 Ferryland, showing areas ofexcavation around the Pool 129 LIST OF PLATES Plate 5.1 Type A wine bottle (actual size) 130 Plate 5.2 Type B wine bottle (actual size)... 131 Plate 5.3 Type C wine bottle (actual size) 132 Plate 5.4 Type D wine bottle (actual size)... 133 Plate 5.5 Type E wine bottle (actual size)... .. 134 Plate 5.6 Type F wine bottle (actual size)... 135 Plate 5.7 Type A case bottle (actual size) 136 Plate 5.8 Type Al case bottle neck (actual size) 137 Plate 5.9 Type B case bottle base and body (actual size)... 137 Plate 6.1 "De goede Samaritaam" by Nicolaes Lastman.... 138 Plate 6.2 "Le Desserte" by Jan Davidsz de Heem... 139 Plate 6.3 "Soo Gewonnen so Verteert" by Jan Steen... 140 Plate 6.4 "Het tuinfeest" by Nicolaes de Bmyn... 141 Plate 6.5 "The Liquor Store" by Q. Brekelenkanun... 142 Plate 6.6 "The Dentist" by Lambert Doomer... ...................................143 Plate 6.7 "Tavern Interior" by Jan Steen... ............... 144 Plate 6.8 "Soo de Songen, so Pypen de Jongen" by Jan Steen 145 Plate 6.9 "Peasants at an Inn" by Craesbeeck.... 146 Plate 6.10 "Grace Before Dinner" by Egbert van Heemskerck... 147 PI, 6.11 "The Bitter Draught" by Adriaen Brouwer. 148 Plate 6.12 "Man Reading a Letter" by Ludolf de Joogh 149 Plate 6.13 "The Schoolmaster" by Adriaen van Ostade 150 Plate 6.14 "The Doctor's Diagnosis" by 100s van Craesbeeck 151 xii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 5.1 Wine bottle types... .............................152 Figure 7.1 Floor plan oflhe b1acksmilh shop... .............................................. 153 Figure 7.2 The forge floor: spatial distribution of232 bottle fragments representing 10 vessels... 154 Figure 8.1 Area C. all structures 155 Figure 8.2 Area C, first construction phase... 156 Figure 8.3 Area C, first construction phase: spatial distribution of361 bottle fragments representing6 vessels... 157 Figure 8.4 Area C, first destruction phase: spatial distribution of892 bottle fragments representing 55 vessels... 158 Figure 8.5 Area C. second construction phase... 159 Figure 8.6 Area C. second construction phase: spatial distribution of 316 bottle fragments representing 13 vessels 160 Figure 9.1 Area E. floor plan ofthe tavern 161 Figure 9.2 Area E, tavern occupation level: spatial distribution of 167 bottle fragments representing 6 vessels 162 xiii LIST OF TABLES Table 5.1 Production period for wine bottle types according to researcher 163 Table 5.2 English wine bottle measurements 164 Table 5.3 Ferryland wine bonle measurements 165 Table 5.4 Capacity Measures 166 Table 5.5 Ferryland case bottle measurements 167 Table 7.1 Area B, vessel and fragment counts 168 Table 8.1 Area C, total number of vessels and fragments 168 Table 8.2 Area C, first construction and occupation phase: vessel and fragment counts 169 Table 8.3 Area C. 1673 desuuction and level: vessel and fragment counts 169 Table 8.4 Area C, second destruction phase: vessel and fragment counts 170 Table 8.5 Area C, eighteenth-eentury destruction phase: vessel and fragment counts 170 Table 9.1 Area E, vessel and fragment counts 171 Table 10.1 Area F, vessel and fragment counts.... 171 Chapter One INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction Archaeological excavations conducted at ferryland, Newfoundland (Map 1.1) uncovered architectural features as well as artifacts that span the late sixteenth to late nineteenth centuries. Many of the architectural remains and artifacts are associated with the Colony of Avalon, which George Calvert founded in 1621. In 1637, Sir David Kirke gained control of the colony. It experienced destruction by the Dutch in 1673 and by the French in 1696. following the french attack of 1705, settlement continued and expanded during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This thesis has two main goals.